The frustration in the air was palpable as Trench and Reyes sifted through the Archive wing for the fourth time that night. Drawer after drawer revealed nothing but fragmented accounts of unrelated Altered World Events. No mention of the Echo. No mention of anything remotely useful.
Reyes slammed a cabinet shut, the clang echoing down the dimly lit hall. "Nothing. It's like the entire thing was scrubbed clean."
Trench leaned against a nearby desk, his shoulders tense. The shadows of the Oldest House seemed to press closer, the weight of its silent, shifting presence adding to his unease.
"If Northmoor wanted this erased, he succeeded," Trench muttered. He ran a hand through his hair, his fingers lingering on the familiar ache of mounting frustration. "But maybe it doesn't matter."
Reyes turned, frowning. "What do you mean?"
Trench pushed off the desk, pacing slowly as he spoke. "The Echo… the way it behaves, the way it feels… it's not entirely unfamiliar. It's like—" he paused, searching for the right words. "It's like other AWEs we've dealt with over the past three years. I can't name specifics, but the patterns are there."
Reyes raised an eyebrow. "So you think it's not unique?"
Trench nodded. "Maybe not. Or maybe it's a variation on something we've already seen. Either way, we know enough about how these things work to handle it, records or no records."
She crossed her arms, leaning against a cabinet. "You think Northmoor's covering something up?"
Trench's expression darkened. "I think Northmoor knows more than he's letting on. And the fact that he's gone out of his way to destroy these records doesn't exactly scream innocence."
Reyes let out a dry laugh. "It's not exactly subtle, is it? We've got a Director who's either paranoid or hiding something big."
Trench's jaw tightened. "Either way, we can't ignore it. We need to keep an eye on him."
Reyes nodded slowly. "Agreed. But we'll need to be careful. He's the Director, and we're just two agents. If he catches wind that we're watching him…"
"Then we'll deal with it," Trench said, his tone resolute. "For now, we keep our suspicions quiet and stick to what we can prove. No reckless moves."
The two agents exchanged a look of mutual understanding. The stakes were higher than ever, and Northmoor's shadow loomed large over everything they did.
As they left the Archives, the faint hum of the Oldest House seemed almost mocking, as if the building itself was aware of their plans. Trench glanced over his shoulder, half-expecting the walls to shift in response. But they remained still—for now.
"This isn't over," he murmured, more to himself than to Reyes.
She glanced at him as they walked. "Not by a long shot."
Together, they disappeared into the maze of the Oldest House, their resolve unshaken. The Echo might remain a mystery, and Northmoor an even greater one, but Trench and Reyes were determined to uncover the truth—no matter the cost.